President Uhuru Kenyatta’s effort to organize a new cabinet for his second term has now suffered a major setback after National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi stated that Parliament had not received names of three nominees.

Muturi’s admission raises serious questions on the delay that has impeded the formation of President Kenyatta’s cabinet.

Kenyatta retained six CSs who served in his first term with legal experts indicating that they would not need to undergo a fresh vetting process.

Justin Muturi

The head of state had also announced new entrants to his cabinet on January 5 and added that he had passed the names of the three nominees to the National Assembly for vetting.

It remain unclear the challenge that has made it impossible to pass the three names to parliament in a government where the National Assembly speaker is a frequent visitor to State House.

“They have not arrived. That is the simple answer.”

“Remember we had passed a Motion before we went on recess, that when the news comes during the long recess, they would automatically go to the departmental committee and to the Committee on Appointments. So if they had arrived, already the process would be nearing almost completion,” the House Speaker told journalists at his Parliament Buildings Office.

Committee of Appointments

Parliament’s Standing Orders state that once the Speaker receives the relevant communication the Presidency, he should forward the Cabinet nominees to the Committee of Appointments and those of nominee ambassadors to the Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations for vetting.

The new development adds credence to previous media reports of a split between Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto.

Ruto is said to have been angered by the January 5 announcement.

The DP skipped the State House press conference where the new cabinet was announced.

The alleged misunderstanding between the two Jubilee leaders has been blamed for the delay in naming the full cabinet.